Purpose: This study was done to examine the effects of a Program Promoting Efficacy Expectation, as to whether the program improved self-efficacy, health promotion behavior and quality of life for rural middle-aged women. The program was based on Bandura\'s self-efficacy theory and Pender\'s health promoting behavior theory. Method: The research design was a quasi experimental, nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Data were collected from August 25 to December 7, 2000. The participants were 40 to 59 year old women who resided on Je-ju island. Among the 83 participants, 43 were assigned to experimental group and the rest to the control group. Results: The level of self efficacy and the degree of health promoting behavior of participants in the experimental group was higher than those in the control group (t=12.82, p=0.0001; t=14.13, p=0.0001). Also, the level of quality of life in the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (t=12.02, p=0.0001). Conclusion: The Efficacy Expectation Promotion Program was an effective nursing intervention for improving self-efficacy, health promotion behavior and quality of life. Therefore, when nurses are planning programs directed at improving health promotion behavior in rural middle aged women, they should consider the concept of self-efficacy.